- 7 hours ago
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024: Best Men’s Player, FIFPro World XI, winner and date
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 19 Dec 2024 03:03 CST
- 10 min read
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 saw Vinicius Junior win the main award for the firsy time in his career.
FIFA no longer runs the prestigious Ballon d’Or prize, but it does now oversee its own in-house 'The Best FIFA Football Awards' - an event that is still a landmark ceremony every year.
The biggest prize on offer is the Best Men’s Player of the Year award, but there are also several other big honours handed out every year, including the FIFPro World XI, the Puskas Award for the best goal scored and the Best Women’s Player.
READ MORE: Who will win Ballon d’Or 2025? Shortlist, favourites, latest odds, date and past winners
Furthermore, recognition is also given to the top coaches in the men’s and women’s games.
Here at FootballTransfers, we have compiled everything you need to know about of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024.
What are The Best FIFA Football Awards?
Following the 1990 World Cup in Italy, FIFA decided to launch its own ceremony to celebrate the best player in the world every year. It slowly gained traction, incorporating a women’s award in 2001 alongside several other trophies.
There are now 10 awards, as well as a FIFPro Men’s and Women’s World XI. Those 10 awards are: The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, FIFA Fair Play Award, FIFA Puskas Award, FIFA Marta Award, FIFA Fan Award, The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper and the Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper.
How are The Best FIFA Football Awards decided and who votes?
Unlike the Ballon d’Or traditionally, The Best FIFA Football Awards include fans in the voting process, giving the people a voice.
The voting for the FIFA Puskas Award and FIFA Marta Award, for example, sees fans vote online for one of the 11 finalists drawn up by a panel of experts, with a final trio then decided.
Fans are responsible for 50% of the votes cast, with a panel of football experts providing the other 50% to decide the eventual winner.
The FIFA Fan Award is entirely decided by fans, with no input from journalists, coaches or players when it comes to determining the winner. Three moments are chosen and fans vote online to ultimately decide the winner.
Fans also have the chance to cast their votes for The Best FIFA Men’s and Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s and Women’s Coach and The Best FIFA Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper awards.
Fans can vote for their top three favourites per category, with first choice generating five points, second choice three points, and third choice one point.
Fans make up 25% of the vote, with the other 75% coming from national coaches of FIFA Member Associations, their team captains, and a select group of media from those countries.
The voting window is usually over a two-week period around a month before the awards ceremony.
When was The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 ceremony?
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 ceremony was held on 17 December 2024.
The Best FIFA Football Awards are given based on performances over the calendar year of January to December, rather than the standard football season of August to May/June.
The ceremony usually takes place early in the new year, but the 2024 edition will be held in December.
Where was The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 ceremony?
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 ceremony was held in Doha, Qatar. You were able to stream the event live on FIFA's website and YouTube channel.
What is The Best FIFA Men’s Player award?
The Best FIFA Men’s Player award is exactly that – the award given to the best men’s player of the given year.
It is voted on by a number of different groups of people within football and ultimately awarded after the shortening of an original shortlist.
Vinicius Junior won the 2024 award.
Past winners of The Best FIFA Men’s Player award and FIFA World Player of the Year
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Lothar Matthaus (Germany) |
| 1992 | Marco van Basten (Netherlands) |
| 1993 | Roberto Baggio (Italy) |
| 1994 | Romario (Brazil) |
| 1995 | George Weah (Liberia) |
| 1996 | Ronaldo (Brazil) |
| 1997 | Ronaldo (Brazil) |
| 1998 | Zinedine Zidane (France) |
| 1999 | Rivaldo (Brazil) |
| 2000 | Zinedine Zidane (France) |
| 2001 | Luis Figo (Portugal) |
| 2002 | Ronaldo (Brazil) |
| 2003 | Zinedine Zidane (France) |
| 2004 | Ronaldinho (Brazil) |
| 2005 | Ronaldinho (Brazil) |
| 2006 | Fabio Cannavaro (Italy) |
| 2007 | Kaka (Brazil) |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2009 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2010 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2011 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2012 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2013 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2014 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2015 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2016 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2017 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) |
| 2018 | Luka Modric (Croatia) |
| 2019 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2020 | Robert Lewandowski (Poland) |
| 2021 | Robert Lewandowski (Poland) |
| 2022 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) |
| 2024 | Vinicius Junior (Brazil) |
What is The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper award?
Similar to The Best FIFA Men’s Player, but solely for goalkeepers, The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper award celebrates the best player in between the sticks each calendar year, to give more recognition to a position that seldom wins individual prizes. The first award was handed out in 2017.
Emiliano Martinez won the award in 2024.
What is The Best FIFA Men’s Coach award?
This award celebrates the work of the best coaches in world football, and it ultimately decides which manager is considered to have been the best over the past 12 months.
The 2024 award went to Carlo Ancelotti.
Past winners of The Best FIFA Men's Coach award
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Claudio Ranieri (Italy) |
| 2017 | Zinedine Zidane (France) |
| 2018 | Didier Deschamps (France) |
| 2019 | Jurgen Klopp (Germany) |
| 2020 | Jurgen Klopp (Germany) |
| 2021 | Thomas Tuchel (Germany) |
| 2022 | Lionel Scaloni (Argentina) |
| 2023 | Pep Guardiola (Spain) |
| 2024 | Carlo Ancelotti (Italy) |
What is The Best FIFA Women’s Player award?
Just as with The FIFA Best Men’s Player, there is an award for the best female player each calendar year as well. It started in 2001, 10 years after the men’s award was introduced, and brings more recognition and attention to women’s football.
Aitana Bonmati is the reigning champion after winning the award in 2024.
There are also female awards for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach and a FIFA FIFPro Women’s World XI.
Past winners of FIFA Women’s Player of Year award
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Carli Lloyd (United States) |
| 2017 | Lieke Martens (Netherlands) |
| 2018 | Marta (Brazil) |
| 2019 | Megan Rapinoe (United States) |
| 2020 | Lucy Bronze (England) |
| 2021 | Alexia Putellas (Spain) |
| 2022 | Alexia Putellas (Spain) |
| 2023 | Aitana Bonmati (Spain) |
| 2024 | Aitana Bonmati (Spain) |
What is the FIFA FIFPro Men’s World 11?
Since 2005, the world players’ union FIFPRO has asked professional footballers worldwide to select the best players in the game each calendar year, with over 25,000 players participating in the vote.
The goalkeeper, as well as the three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards who received the most votes are selected for the World 11. The remaining spot in the World 11 is assigned to the outfield player with the next highest number of votes who is not selected already.
The award celebrates the best 11 players in the world each year, and gives players who don’t have a realistic shot at winning the overall award, primarily defensive players, recognition for their work on the pitch.
Lionel Messi has the most appearances in the World 11 with 17, and he moved past Cristiano Ronaldo with his selection in the XI of 2021. Ronaldo has been included in 14 World XIs, while Sergio Ramos is next in terms of appearances, with 11.
The past five FIFPro Men’s Best XIs
2020: Alisson (Brazil); Alphonso Davies (Canada), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England); Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Thiago (Spain), Joshua Kimmich (Germany); Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Lionel Messi (Argentina).
2021: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy); David Alaba (Austria), Leonardo Bonucci (Italy), Ruben Dias (Portugal); Jorginho (Italy), N’Golo Kante (France), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium); Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Erling Haaland (Norway), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Lionel Messi (Argentina).
2022: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium); Joao Cancelo (Portugal), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco); Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Casemiro (Brazil), Luka Modric (Croatia); Kylian Mbappe (France), Erling Haaland (Norway), Karim Benzema (France), Lionel Messi (Argentina).
2023: Thibaut Courtois (Belgium); Ruben Dias (Portugal), John Stones (England), Kyle Walker (England); Jude Bellingham (England), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Bernardo Silva (Portugal); Vinicius Jr (Brazil), Kylian Mbappe (France), Erling Haaland (Norway), Lionel Messi (Argentina).
2024: Ederson (Brazil); Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Antonio Rudiger (Germany), Dani Carvajal (Spain); Jude Bellingham (England), Toni Kroos (Germany), Rodri (Spain), Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium); Vinicius Jr (Brazil), Erling Haaland (Norway), Kylian Mbappe (France).
What is the FIFA Puskas Award?
Created in 2009 in honour of Real Madrid icon Ferenc Puskas, captain and star of the Hungary national team during the 1950s, the FIFA Puskas Award is handed out to the player judged to have scored the best goal of the year.
The criteria is: an aesthetically beautiful goal, awarded without distinction of championship, gender or nationality.
Alejandro Garnacho won the 2024 FIFA Puskás Award.
Past winners of FIFA Puskas Award
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) |
| 2010 | Hamit Altintop (Turkey) |
| 2011 | Neymar (Santos) |
| 2012 | Miroslav Stoch (Fenerbahce) |
| 2013 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) |
| 2014 | James Rodriguez (Colombia) |
| 2015 | Wendell Lira (Goianésia) |
| 2016 | Mohd Faiz Subri (Penang) |
| 2017 | Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) |
| 2018 | Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) |
| 2019 | Dániel Zsóri (Debrecen) |
| 2020 | Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) |
| 2021 | Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) |
| 2022 | Marcin Oleksy (Poland) |
| 2023 | Guilherme Madruga (Brazil) |
| 2024 | Alejandro Garnacho (Argentina) |
What is the FIFA Marta Award?
Created in 2024 in honour of Brazil legend Marta, the FIFA Marta Award is handed out to the women's player judged to have scored the best goal of the year.
The criteria is: an aesthetically beautiful goal, awarded without distinction of championship, gender or nationality.
Marta herself won the 2024 FIFA Marta Award.
Past winners of FIFA Marta Award
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Marta |
What is the FIFA Fair Play Award?
The FIFA Fair Play award recognises exemplary behaviour that promotes fair play, sportsmanship and compassion in football. It can be awarded to a player, a coach, a team, fans or even entire footballing communities.
The winner in 2024 was Internacional star Thiago Maia for his bravery during the Porto Alegre floods.
What is the FIFA Fan Award?
The FIFA Fan award was created in 2016 and celebrates the best fan moment or event across the calendar year. The 2024 award was won by young Vasco da Gama fan Guilherme Gandra Moura.
Who presented The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony for 2024?
Samantha Johnson and Cristina Gullon were the hosts for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 ceremony.
Are The Best FIFA Football Awards and the Ballon d’Or the same?
No, they are not. The Ballon d’Or is a ceremony founded and run by France Football, whereas The Best FIFA Football Awards were founded and run by FIFA. They are two separate awards, although between 2010 and 2015, they merged together to form the FIFA Ballon d’Or.
They separated for 2016 and have remained two different awards since then. Before the merge, The Best FIFA Football Awards was known as FIFA World Player of the Year.
